The Island Council of Fuerteventura is transferring 1,683,600 euros to the Canary Islands Housing Institute for four construction projects comprising a total of 176 publicly subsidised social housing units. The same Official Gazette also contains three further resolutions, namely on social services during Wednesday’s general strike, on research into natural habitats, and on training courses for collective bargaining.
With this grant, the island is supplementing the contribution from the Canary Islands Government. The agreement was signed on 28 October in Puerto del Rosario by the island’s president, Dolores Alicia García Martínez, and Juan Pablo Rodríguez Valido, who, as the Canary Islands Minister for Housing, also heads the institute. It is valid for four years. The projects form part of the programme for energy-efficient social housing under the European Recovery Plan, which is providing around 7.6 million euros. The agreement, published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, puts the total cost at around 29.3 million euros.
The Island Council had already pledged its additional funding for projects on Fuerteventura in the 2025 supplementary budgets. The Housing Institute is carrying out the construction work, and the completed flats will be added to the island’s public housing stock. The three remaining announcements range from emergency services at nursery schools on the day of the strike to training courses on collective bargaining:
Canary Islands: Essential services in nurseries and child protection during the general strike
During Wednesday’s general strike, minimum services will apply to staff at the Canary Islands Ministry of Social Affairs, Equality, Youth, Children and Families from 00:00 to 24:00. Minister María Candelaria Delgado Toledo has laid down these provisions by order. The nationwide strike was called by the CGT, Confederación Intersindical, Unión de Actores y Actrices, as well as CCOO and UGT. Nurseries will remain open so that working parents can have their children aged between zero and three looked after.
In each province, a technical team maintains services in the areas of child protection and youth court support. Six staff members in each province handle pensions and the Canary Islands integration benefit. Half of the staff are assigned to the assessment and counselling of people in need of care, as the Ministry is facing a long waiting list and a significant backlog of cases in this area. The Canary Islands Institute for Gender Equality provides at least one person to offer counselling on gender-based violence. In addition, there are five staff members at the Mabel building in Tenerife and one person in Las Palmas. The full list can be viewed here.
Canary Islands: University of La Laguna studies the soils of natural habitats
The Ministry for Ecological Transition and Energy is providing 350,000 euros to the University of La Laguna to generate new soil data from natural habitats in the Canary Islands. The funding will be disbursed in four annual instalments between 2026 and 2029. In each study area, researchers will measure 20 physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil. The results will be used to assess the condition of the habitats and to guide restoration efforts.
The Ministry has so far been monitoring habitats using remote sensing, artificial intelligence and field measurements, and so identifying areas in poor condition. Pilot projects focusing on soil health are already underway for dry habitats. The agreement also paves the way for measures set out in the national restoration plan. The university provides reports, whilst the Ministry contributes data and technical assistance. Further details can be found here.
The Canary Islands are providing 520,000 euros to fund training courses on collective bargaining
The Canary Islands Employment Service is providing 520,000 euros for training programmes that teach skills relating to social dialogue and collective bargaining. Of this sum, 416,000 euros – or 80 per cent – is earmarked for training courses on social dialogue, and 104,000 euros for courses on collective bargaining. Only programmes that apply to the whole of the Canary Islands are eligible for funding.
The agency allocates the funds through a competitive process. Any organisation that has failed to implement approved plans from the last three calls for proposals, or has spent less than 50 per cent of the budget, is excluded. Eligible organisations may submit applications, together with supporting documents, within ten working days of the publication of the notice. The call for proposals can be found here.
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